“Religion is a difficult subject to tackle for any author. Challenging anyone’s beliefs is bound to get a writer into hot water. But Tricia Dower doesn’t back away from addressing several controversial topics. She brings them out into the light in order to examine them for what they are.”

“…even when I put the book down to tend to life my mind was still active, trying to predict where the story was headed, without success I might add…It’s easily one of my favourite reads this year so far.”

“Sometimes the best books are the ones that take you by surprise..I had no idea where the book was going at any given moment and I absolutely loved the journey it took me on…All of the main characters were relatable, unique, and enthralling. I wanted to get to know every single one of them more, keep learning about their histories, go with them into the future.”

“Seeing differently is…the truest gift Dower has given to her readers. She says her goal was to write a “ripping good yarn,” but that the urge to challenge religious dogma as well as assumptions about right and wrong, sanity and madness, love and abuse crept in. She’s right, but her writing is so imbued with compassion that it never seems strident. By the time you finish this novel, you, too, will see differently, and you will be a better person for it.”

From the Saint John Telegraph-Journal, August 18, 2012

“‘What did the devil look like?’” asks Tereza, a teenage girl who “seemed to accept the cost of doing what she pleased.” In response, Tereza’s beau says,“Me, of course. That’s what he does.” But the devil is not just in any particular man in Stony River, its evil is woven into the fabric of its paternalistic society, and Dower’s understanding and ability to subtly manifest that bane is pure brilliance.”

“Stony River is a powerful coming-of-age novel, which meticulously evokes time and place, and tackles moral dilemmas, religious dogma, spirituality, sexuality, depression, incest and abuse. It’s rare to find such a polished debut and Dower is a masterful storyteller to watch.”

“Exquisitely written, honest, and entertaining, everything in this disquieting story works toward a successful narrative. Equally evocative and insightful, intriguing thematically and symbolically, Stony River is intensely satisfying, like reading Margaret Laurence.”

“Dower does an excellent job chronicling the formative years of her central trio in a coming-of-age story that effectively tackles heavy subjects including domestic abuse, mental illness, and rape. While each girl’s story branches off in a different direction, each manages to remain equally compelling, and the shifting story lines and perspectives feel effortless.”

“Stony River has a theatrical/cinematic feel, a sense of epic, of grandness, and Dower is ambitious in her approach, tackling crime fiction, riffing on True Romance, writing men and women, children and adults, and considering topics including domestic violence, depression, incest, religion, the supernatural and murder. Dower’s writing is excellent, her period details wonderfully wrought, a sense of time and place absolutely evoked.”